Mike
and I met under very extreme circumstances
We were so much
alike; sensitive, religious, very close to our mom’s
Both mothers
were dragging families around the entire country to follow their man and his
dream
During the
three months in which me and Mike had a lifetime of adventures Katherine was gone at first. She went back to
Gary, IN to have the baby (Janet) by her own doctor. She was busy afterward and
Michael was always at my house.
Even though I
didn’t get to see her very much, I started thinking of her like a 2nd
mom also. I guess I was just reciprocating the feelings he had for my mom.
Mike became so
close to me and my Mother that me and him knew each other better than our own
family members did and with his mom gone he started thinking of my Mom as his 2nd
Mom and called her “Mom” all the time.
In 1966 that
had to be a hard pill for any Mother to swallow. But then, Katherine was no
ordinary Woman. She already had so many kids that one more kid calling her Mom
didn’t faze her much, even if it was a white boy.
After what we’d
been through together. Being expelled for the violence those cowardice teachers
forced us into. The prejudice fans
kicking my white family out of the parking lot.
On the air often was the not so old statement of John F.
Kennedy; “Ask not what your Country can
do for you but what you can do for your Country.”
Mike said: “That’s why I want to become famous. For what
my fame can do to stop all this
prejudice and violence and other crap the world.
Promise me when were old, you’ll make me live up to
that. If you’re really my friend you’ll kick my ass if I don’t. Promise me
you’ll kick my ass if you have to, to make me do that.
Or if I die you’ll use my fame and our Adventure’s to
finish that dream for me.
Please Mark? Promise to tell my children about our dream
and about us.
The day after I met him. Michael Jackson who did not
have a violent bone in his body. Risked his life fighting to save my life.
What you’re witnessing is me, fighting to fulfill the promise
I made to him about making his dream of that fame being used to fight
prejudice, Bullying and senseless violence such as Sandy Hook
Elementary to honor him for risking his life for me and those children. This is
what I vowed to do or die trying.
I know and shared the dream Michael had down deep in his
soul. I know he spent his life trying to
do whatever he could to make it come true. He did it to. I know the changes he
made. There is a big difference 50 Years later and I hear his and our words coming
out of other people’s mouths more times than I can count every day.
But like he said: “It won’t do near as much good for
peoples spirits or make as big a difference in their lives as it will when they
hear our story and know that we planned it all as little kids.
Then and only then will they know what you and me know right
now Mark. They will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that One person really
can change the world by starting with the man in the mirror.” I will sing it to
them and you will tell them because that’s what your good at you old story
teller you. Then they will know that they can do it to.”